Bill Morris enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1959. It was, he said, a way to get a job and career training. But along the way, Morris’ time with the Army, first for two tours and then for 18 years as a civilian employee, taught him the value of service. It’s a lesson he has carried with him throughout his life.

Early Army & The Radio Years

During his first enlistment, Bill was assigned as a clerk typist and what he called a “protector” for three German generals writing their memoirs in Europe. He went on to serve in Frankfort, Heidelberg and Karlsruhe, Germany. Morris returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lee, Virginia, where outside of his Army responsibilities he worked part time for radio stations as an announcer. 

This led to the Army making him a broadcast specialist and assigning him to produce a half-hour radio program of music interspersed with messages promoting enlisting in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. These tapes were broadcast weekly on 365 radio stations in a five-state area in Texas and surrounding states.  

Witness to History: The JFK Assassination

While working at WSSV in Petersburg, Va., Morris had an unforgettable experience: being live on the air when President John F. Kennedy was shot.

“It was really a weird feeling on my part, because I felt like I was being part of history as far as the listenership for this particular radio station,” he said. 

Over the next several hours, he received calls from listeners. 

“I got calls from people saying, ‘Hey, is it true?’ And I’d say, ‘Yeah, well, that’s the information we have,’” Morris said.

Following this assignment he was transferred to the Far East and was stationed at the Armed Forces Radio and Television Station on the island of Okinawa.

The Okinawa Crisis: Operation Red Hat

One incident remains fresh in Morris’ memory even now more than 50 years later. The volatile situation arose during Operation Red Hat, which involved transporting highly dangerous toxic munitions (nerve gas). As a public affairs officer, Morris was directed by  his commanding officer Lt. General James P. Lampert to escort Ambassador Takeshi Yasukawa (Japan’s ambassador to the United States) and his staff to the Tengan Pier to observe the loading of these materials onto ships.

During the operation, the stevedores accidentally dropped a pallet of the munitions which plummeted into the ship’s hold. 

“I knew I was dead; I could just see it blowing up,” Morris said.

Though a massive explosion didn’t occur, Yasukawa was deeply upset. Morris immediately tried to reassure him, stating, “Sir, I assure you that we are going to do our utmost to see there’s no reoccurrence of this incident.” 

He would report the event to General Lampert, who would implement additional supervision to prevent it from happening again, he said.

“Well, will you give me your personal assurance that there’ll be no problem for me in Tokyo?” the ambassador responded. Unable to make such a personal guarantee, Morris reiterated: “I can give you the assurance that we will do everything possible to see that there is no reoccurrence.”

The consequences of the dropped pallet were swift and severe. The following morning, firebombs were thrown at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo. Reporting the incident and the diplomatic fallout, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Edwin Reischauer reportedly called then-President Richard Nixon, recounting the exact assurances Morris had given. Nixon’s terse response was memorable:

 “I am told that on one of President Nixon's tapes is ‘Who in the F--- is Bill Morris?’” Morris said.

Two years later after he ended his enlistment with the U.S. Army, Morris was hired by the headquarters, U.S. Army Ryukyu Islands, as a civilian public affairs officer. Morris came to Utah in December 1971 and served with the Army Recruiting Command as a public affairs officer, covering six states in the Mountain Region until he retired. 

A Second Career: Utah Law Enforcement

Following his time with the Army, Morris shifted his focus to law enforcement. His career spanned several roles, including 29 years as a Salt Lake County Sheriff’s deputy, as well as working as a Midvale detective and a special investigator for the attorney general’s office. He also served as a parole officer and a court bailiff. 

He remained on inactive status until 2010 when he accepted an appointment to be the deputy commander of the Utah State Defense Force, a support organization to do the work of the Utah Army National Guard in the event they were mobilized. He served in that capacity for about two years until the unit was disbanded.

“They finally decided that there was very little likelihood of the whole National Guard being mobilized at one time. So they disbanded our unit,” Morris said.

Serving in Retirement

Even now at 84 years old, and despite mobility issues after losing his right foot due to complications from ankle surgeries, Morris continues to serve. He volunteers two days a week as an ombudsman for Salt Lake County Aging Services. In that role, he regularly visits senior living centers and works to ensure those facilities are following state and federal guidelines and provide the best possible care for their residents. He uses his many years of experience and the skills he developed in the Army and in law enforcement. 

 “One of the things that I have seen is that some people that I have known personally are retirees as I am, have died because all they did was sit around in a recliner and watch TV. And I didn’t want to be one of those,” he said. “So I like to stay active, and I like to contribute where I can as well.”

The common thread woven through Morris’s decades-long journey – from soldier and radio specialist to a deputy and special investigator, and finally to a dedicated volunteer – is his unwavering commitment to service. Now, as an ombudsman, he applies the experience and principles learned in the Army and law enforcement to ensure quality care for seniors. 

“It’s important to serve your country when you have the opportunity,” he said.